Reflection is Essential for Change

How often do you engage in a reflective process?  What are your favorite ways to endure reflective thought?  Have you moved to making reflection a routine in your life?

About a year and a half ago I would have had different answers to the questions above than I do now.  I honestly was only reflective on occasion, specifically when I felt I HAD to reevaluate a situation or when I was required to by a professional development process.  I would have answered that running was my favorite way to endure reflective though, because putting my feet to the pavement was a great way to clear my head.  Above all, I did not have the passion, the drive, nor the innate ability to strive for change. 

My mindset has transformed, thus impacting my life in such a positive way.

I now feel as though I am in a constant reflective state of mind and very intentional about my actions.  But what drives my reflective thought?  My personal/professional goals of course!  And the most important part is that my goals are always evolving and being refined.  A reflective mind is a flexible mind.

I now have many favorite venues for authentic reflection:

·         Blogging!  (I have found my reflective voice to allow for deep processing and opportunities for additional communication with my PLN.)

·         Collaboration!  (Whether it be discussions with my PLCs or out loud processing with Ann, each conversation leads to further personal thoughts that allow for positive problem solving and change.)

·         Twitter!  (Participating in #chats and tweeting with individuals in my PLN allows for quick reflection opportunities.  And as @KLirenman and I have joked, sometimes “makes our heads spin”- which is when you can guarantee fabulous change is just around the corner!)

·         Brain Book!  (Recoding information, storing ideas, and organizing my written thoughts allows me to build a resource that is a personal reference tool; a collection of my learning that always leads to reflection.)

·         Exercise!  (Running still allows me to clear my head, but instead of “running from” my thoughts I instead endure them and celebrate the energy I gain to accomplish my goals.)

·         Books!  (Reading professional development books allows my gears to turn, ideas to form, and action based research to occur.)

·         Sharing!  (Articulating my perspective and goals to others allows me to think intensely about my philosophy.  I am able to focus on my answers to questions asked from others and process ways to extend or refine my practice.)

Reflection has become a part of my daily life, allowing for genuine change to occur in a moment’s need.  It is a routine I now treasure, and the variety of reflective processes I engage in makes each reflective moment an enlightening experience.

~Celina